Gothic Literature Notes.

Gothic Literature- characterized by grotesque characters, bizarre situations, and violent events. Originated in Europe. U.S. in the 19th Century. Notable authors were Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Celebrations of the Self-
Romanticism- Writers saw limitations of reason (reaction to Puritanism), celebrated original spirit, emotions, and the imagination of basic elements of human nature. Splendors of nature inspired the romantics more than the fear of God
-fascination with supernatural
1) limitations of reason
2) individual spirit
3) emotions
4) the splendors of nature
5) imagination
6) fascination with the supernatural (Henry Longfellow and Washington Irving)
Typical Romantic~
7) atmosphere
8) sentiment
9) optimism

Transcendentalism- derived in part form German Romanticism, was based on a belief that "transcendent forms" of truth exist beyond reason and experience. (faith) "belief in something beyond physical"
-every individual is capable of discovering this higher truth on his or her own, through intuition

American Gothic- cavernous Gothic cathedrals with their irregularly placed towers and stained glass windows intended to inspire awe and fear in religious worshipers.
-gargoyles- creatures (statues) crouching on corners and crevices of Gothic cathedrals. Acts as a mascot, they warded off evil spirits from them you will get a good idea of the kind of imaginative distortion of reality that Gothic represents.
- the imagination of writers leads you to the threshold of the unknown-that shadowy region where the fantastic, the demonic, and the insane reside

Dark side of Individualism-
-romantics see hope
-Gothics see potential evil
-dark medieval castles or dark decaying estates provided setting for weird and terrifying events
*Poe- male narrators are insane; female characters are beautiful and dead (or dying)
-extreme situations: not just murder, but live burials, physical and mental torture, and retribution from beyond the grave.
- from Poe only through extreme situations people revealed their true nature
*Hawthorne- examined the human heart under conditions of fear, greed, vanity, mistrust, and betrayal